Congenital limb defects or losing a limb through an accident can severely impede individuals in carrying out day-to-day tasks. Artificial limbs, or prosthetics, are intended to restore a degree of normal function to amputees or individuals with congenital limb defects. Due to significant variations in sizes and shapes of individuals and their limbs, as well as variations in size and shape of residual limb portions for sufferers of amputation and congenital limb defects, prosthetics are typically custom manufactured for patients.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional prosthetic leg 101 having a socket 121 with a recessed surface arranged to engage an end of a user's amputated limb (e.g., remaining leg portion). The socket 121 may embody a padded plastic structure that distributes compressive forces on the end of the amputated limb. The bottom of the socket 121 is attached to a pylon 123 which may embody a tubular metal support. The bottom of the pylon 123 may attach to an artificial foot 125 that can be a molded plastic structure. The prosthetic leg 101 may include a foam covering 127 that can be attached to the socket 121 and the pylon 123 to provide a more lifelike shape. Components of the prosthetic leg 101 can be coupled together using fasteners such as screws, bolts, and adhesives.
Functional prosthetics include categories of body-powered and externally-powered prosthetics. Body-powered prosthetics typically use cables and harnesses strapped to the individual to mechanically maneuver the artificial limb, but can be fatiguing to operate. Externally powered artificial limbs, including myoelectric prosthetics, seek to reduce user fatigue using batteries and electronic systems to control movement. A myoelectric prosthetic may be attached to a user's remaining limb portion using suction technology, and sensors may be used to detect minute muscle, nerve, and electromyographic activity. Muscle activity triggered by a user is translated into information used by electric motors to control movement of the artificial limb. Myoelectric limbs may look and even move much like a natural limb. The primary disadvantages to such limbs are weight and cost.
Prosthetics with endoskeletal structures or exoskeletal structures are known. Endoskeletal prosthetics include at least one internal support, such as an aluminum, titanium, or carbon fiber pylon. Exoskeletal prosthetics include an outer structure providing structural rigidity, typically including laminated reinforcement materials such as fiberglass, nylon, Dacron®, carbon fiber, and Kevlar®, which may be bound with polymer resin.
Due to their custom character and potentially high complexity, prosthetic devices typically require significant manufacturing time and entail high production costs. Need exists for prosthetic devices and prosthetic device fabrication methods to address limitations of conventional devices and methods.